I just wrote Bob Schieffer about his guest tomorrow Dick Cheney. I told him we could not believe he would have this man without a conscience on his show: the butcher of Iraq, the butcher of thousands of poor Americans, one who dodged the draft five times during Viet Nam, but had no qualms about sending thousands of Americans to their deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan. I concluded that he was the equivalent of Josef Stalin, which I think he is, who was called the butcher of Georgia. I am going to continue to call Cheney the butcher of Iraq. That is no hyperbole.

And on that note……happy Saturday everyone. Read Smartypants’ editorial on 21st century Obama vs 19th century Putin…..it is excellent and explanatory.

Thank you guys so much for putting together such an awesome week! i feel like we get to tag along with the president as he goes about his business. 🙂 I wish we could just make him president for life. well not that that would be fair to him or the girls, thats just me being not at all ready for this ride to end.

Well howdy all you O’s!! What a great getting up day on TOD Boulevard!!!

It’s snowing again in my neck of the woods, but now I just go into a comatose stupor as I watch it ever so *#$#%*ly onto my recently cleared sidewalks.

We all know that we’re in countdown to the last day to enroll in ACA. I had a few questions as a person with employer provided insurance, but also becoming eligible for Medicare this year (can’t believe it!). At the same time #2 gets kicked off my insurance this year, so it’s pretty cut and dry what she’ll have to do. Anyway, I’m pretty sure I know what I have to do, but there’s still a lot of confusion out there, even among folks who are totally in support of ACA and in desperate need of affordable healthcare.

As an example, while perusing on the Orange site earlier, someone there thought he wouldn’t be able to be covered at all, because his state didn’t expand medicare and, based on his income, he couldn’t afford the cost for any of the ACA plans Anyway, it was so encouraging to see that so many folks, knowledgeable about taxes and ACA, were able to help him. It turns out, he more than qualifies and will be able to purchase on the ACA exchange. As I read his diary and the comments that helped him through his worry, it dawned on me, how at this late date, people still have questions.

The folk who can stop Putin are the ones with the most to lose, Russia’s oligarchs. As I’ve noted several times, those pipelines convey gas from RU, but it’s not a one way deal. $$$ flow in the opposite direction. So, threats to stop the flow or charge non-sustainable prices (market forces will prevail since their are options) also mean stopping the flow of $$$ into folks’ bank accounts, folk who care much more about their next super yacht than TzarVlado’s neo-colonial escapades.

The one strong peaceful option to stop a war that, day by day these past 10 days has become more inevitable due to the RU occupation and acts of war (e.g., establishing mine fields on boarders, surrounding troops and ships, etc) is to apply comprehensive economic sanctions on Russia’s oligarchs and ‘upper middle class.’ Putin, of course, is one of the wealthiest oligarchs of all, but he’s clearly too psychopathic to care at this point. The others, oh, they care, a bunch. And, don’t forget, the vast majority of Russians don’t want another war with anyone but we don’t have any meaningful leverage on them.

“OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today condemned the continuous closure of television channels and attacks on journalists in Crimea.

“Extreme censorship, shutting down media outlets and press hubs and attacks and intimidation of journalists must stop immediately,” Mijatović said. “In times of crisis people must have an unimpeded access to a plurality of sources; otherwise they can be subjected to the worst kind of propaganda.”

Over the past few days the terrestrial signals of Ukrainian television stations Inter, Briz, 1+1, 5 channel, 1st National, STB have been cut, including the signal of the independent Chernomorskaya TV, and replaced with Russian channels NTV, 1st channel, Rossiya 24, Rossiya RTR, TNT and Zvezda. The Internet connection of Crimean Tatar ATR channel is down.

A number of journalists have been threatened, assaulted, physically attacked ….”

Hello! Hello! Hel-lllloooo! It feels good to sign in, knowing that I can TRY to catch up on missed info.

Chips Chica, I don’t think I have thanked you and the gang yet for this ‘new’ ‘week at tod’ feature which is very much appreciated, especially by those who missed time in the village during the week.

THANKS, CC!,
THANKS, Nerdy Utal,
Thanks Lib_L, LovelyP, and everyone else who’s been involved.
It’s reassuring to know that we have a place, aside from WH.Gov, where facts about The O Admin is readily accessible.

Good afternoon TODers, I see where some have said they’ve emailed Face the Nation to voice their opposition to having Dick Cheney on tomorrow. I thought I would share with you what I just mailed off.

*********************************************
I’m appalled at your program having former VP Dick Cheney on tomorrow.
I can’t understand how people who got it so wrong are the default go-tos in times crisis. As time pass and as more facts emerge about why we into Iraq, I surprisingly find myself joining the chorus who say there should’ve been criminal charges brought against the last Administration. As you’re interviewing this man tomorrow remember, he allowed the worst attack to take place on American soil. After going after those who attacked us in Afghanistan, they decided the opportunity was wipe to go after Iraq’s oil. His brilliant decision to go into Iraq resulted in thousands of American and Iraqi deaths, no oil, and clearing the way for Iran to become a force in the region.

Now tell me again, why are you enlisting Dick Cheney’s view on any Foreign Policy matters?

okay….so there are already three of us from TOD that we know of who’ve emailed Schieffer. That number should grow….strong tweets or emails. Also boycott watching the program…….someone with influence and tweeting ability, please encourage this action.

Concern was mounting Saturday over the safety of journalists in Crimea after reports that Ukrainian reporters were beaten by pro-Russian militants and an international television crew had its equipment seized.
Ukraine’s Channel 5 television reported that its journalists were among several beaten by pro-Russian militants late Friday as they covered a confrontation at a Ukrainian air force base in Sevastopol.
The channel said journalists from the Inter and STB channels were also beaten at the base, where the militants reportedly smashed through the gates with a truck but eventually left.
An AFP reporter later saw five male journalists in hospital who had been severely beaten, their faces covered with blood, and who were being treated for head wounds.
Pro-Russian militia in Crimea have often been confrontational with Ukrainian and international journalists, whom they accuse of working for foreign powers against Moscow.
The Associated Press news agency said in a report Saturday that armed men in the Crimean capital Simferopol had seized equipment from one of its crews on Thursday.
It said the crew had been setting up a live camera position above a restaurant when they were approached by unarmed men who took photos of their equipment and “accused the crew of being spies”.
Armed men later showed up, ordered the crew to put their hands against the wall and took their equipment away, the agency said.